


Of Partners and Post-Op Confessions

by SabbyStarlight



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Good thing Mac's there to remind him, Hurt/Comfort, Jack Dalton is perfect and precious and deserves all the good things, Mild Jack Whump, The drugged jack weekend, even if he doesn't believe it himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabbyStarlight/pseuds/SabbyStarlight
Summary: Day two of The Drugged Jack Weekend!An attempt at an important conversation between Mac and a sleepy, soft, kinda clumsy, after-surgery Jack
Comments: 10
Kudos: 46





	Of Partners and Post-Op Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Today’s drugged Jack is adorable as yesterday’s was grumpy. Enjoy!

Jack's head lolled across the pillow beneath him and the crinkling of the cheap, paper-like, material made him frown. It was a far cry from the expensive linens with the high thread count that were on his own bed, the ones he swears are worth every penny whenever someone teases him for paying as much as he does for quality bedding. He doesn't get to spend as much time as a normal person does sleeping, and even less of that sleep actually gets to happen in the comfort of his own bed, so when it does, he's going to make the most of it. It's not his own bed he's waking up in, that much is certain. 

As the rest of his senses come back online, the sharp scent of hospital-grade industrial cleaners makes itself known and he lets out a low groan. He hates hospitals. Hospitals mean hurt, either him or Mac, sometimes both... Mac. 

Gritty eyelids pry themselves open and he forces his body to cooperate as he turns his head more, searching for familiar blue eyes, hopefully unharmed. Blinking away the spots that flashed in his field of vision, bright white starbursts floating in front of him that he was ninety-nine percent sure weren't actually there, he focused past them, staring at the empty space next to his bed. The space that shouldn't be empty. An empty space meant that he was alone and that never happened. Not unless Mac was hurt too. Hurt enough that he couldn't out-stubborn the medical team wherever they were and convince them to let him be there when Jack woke up. They had agreed long ago, early on in their friendship, that unless there was no way to avoid it, they wouldn't let each other wake up alone. They would be there. And if Mac wasn't there, that meant-

"Wrong side, big guy," A familiar voice called from his right. "Calm down, I'm here. We're okay." 

Jack's head whipped around, searching, needing to see for himself that Mac was alright, moving fast enough that he made himself dizzy. 

"Easy," Mac laughed, reaching out to straighten the blankets that had been dislodged in his haste. "They just fixed you up, don't go doing any more damage." 

"Mac?" His voice warbled on the single syllable, hoarse and grating, but he had to be sure. 

"I'm here," Mac assured, picking up Jack's hand closest to him with one of his own. It was never a guarantee, how Jack was going to wake up post-surgery. Sometimes there was hardly a recovery period at all, coming to awake and alert, ready to take on the world. Other times he panicked. Those were Mac's least favorites, when Jack woke up and any touch felt restricting and confining, blankets too tight and walls too close, emotions running high, defensive and combative. A slightly loopy, clingy, concerned Jack though? That Mac could handle. "Slow it down, everything's alright." 

"You're not hurt?" Jack asked, face drawing into a wince as his throat protested speaking. 

"No, I'm fine," Mac promised. "Not a scratch on me." 

"But you're in the hospital," Jack argued. It wasn't that he didn't trust his partner, despite the many occasions where Mac had tried to keep him from finding out about an injury he didn't think was important enough to mention, but he had to be sure. 

"I'm only here for you," Mac's thumb ghosted across scarred knuckles without him even realizing he was doing it. "I'm safe, promise." 

"Kay," Jack sighed in relief, trusting. His free hand came up, clumsy and uncoordinated, to rub at his eyes but he only managed to bonk himself on the forehead as his depth perception was still off. Moving it back was down to his side was too daunting of a task though, so he left it where it was, partially covering one eye and folding in an ear. " 'm I good?" 

"Surgery went off without a hitch," Mac smiled, reaching over and gently maneuvering his arm back into place and away from his face. "Everything's good. Just gotta hang out here for a little while, wait for some of those drugs to wear off." 

"Drugs," Jack agreed. "That's why everything's fuzzy." 

"Yeah, that's why. You want a drink of water? Sounds like your throat's pretty sore." 

"Huh-uh," Jack protested, shaking his head, stopping when the back and forth movement sent the room spinning around him. "Won't stay down."

"You feeling sick?" Mac's smile faded. "I can go get someone, see if they can give you something to help." 

"Naw, don't leave," Jack's eyes widened for the briefest moment in fear, not wanting to be left alone and not wanting to let Mac out of his sight. "I'm okay, I'm okay"

"It'll just take a minute," Mac offered. "And if it'll help-"

"Nope, just need to rest. Let 'em wear off. You said so yourself." Jack tightened his grip on Mac's hand, determined to not let him leave. "I'll be alright. Stay."

"Okay, okay, I'm not going anywhere," Mac assured. "Staying right here." 

"Don't like this," Jack sunk further into the bed beneath him, face twisting into a grimace as the movement pulled at fresh stitches. "All hazy and off my game. Can't do my job, keep you safe, like this."

"You're off duty for a while, buddy," Mac smiled, reaching around to adjust the pillow behind Jack's head. "Rest. That's your only mission right now. Everything else can wait. We're all fine, just gotta get you there too." 

"I'll be a'ight. Give me an hour, maybe two,"

"Yeah, okay," Mac laughed. "Might take a little longer than that though." 

"Naw, I'll be right as rain in no time," Jack protested, fighting to keep his eyes open. 

"You sure you're alright? Not hurting too bad?"

"Can't even feel it yet. Not really. Jus' don't feel good. Tired." 

"Go on back to sleep, big guy," Mac smiled, brushing his free hand through Jack's hair, mussing up his fauxhawk and getting payback for all the times Jack had messed up his own hair over the years. "It's okay, I got you. Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Jus' woke up," Jack argued. "Too early to go back to sleep." 

"Not when you've got as many drugs coursing through your veins as you do at the moment," Mac's hand slid lower, thumb trying to brush away some of the lines of tension from Jack's forehead, hoping the rhythmic movement would be enough to lull him back into a malleable, trusting hush instead of the argumentative stage he was inching towards. "It's okay, if you're tired don't fight it." 

"Need to stay 'wake," Jack mumbled, eyes dropping closed against his will only to snap back open a second later, pupils blown wide, frantically searching for Mac. "Keep an eye on you. That's my job, bein' an overwatch. You're too important to let somethin' happen to. Gotta keep you safe." 

"We already went through this," Mac reminded him gently, though from the sound of things Jack had forgotten his assurances from only a few minutes earlier. "I'm safe. We're worrying about you right now." 

"But I don't matter," Jack protested, blinking up at Mac and tightening his clumsy grip on Mac's hand. "You do."

It wasn't the first time Mac had gotten a glimpse of that particular thought that haunted his partner, though he kept it tucked close to the vest for himself to deal with instead of burdening anyone else with his negative thoughts. And he knew Jack would never let such a thing slip if he had been sober. Usually, because of that, Mac would have ignored it, knowing that's what Jack would want. For all his loud, boisterous overdramatics, they were almost always an act put on to distract from a more serious underlying issue and Jack wasn't the guy to put himself first, ever. Hearing it though, and phrased like that, Mac couldn't pretend he hadn't heard it. "Come on, you don't mean that. You matter, Jack. You're so important, not just to me, to all of us. You don't really think that, right?" 

"I made you sad," Jack frowned, always hardwired to fix Mac's hurts, physically or mentally, he scrambled with his free hand, trying to push himself up to sitting, IV lines and wires clattering against the side of his bed. 

Mac had promised a long time ago that he wouldn't lie to Jack, and while there had been occasions that he couldn't keep that promise, even though Jack would argue that he didn't have to lie to him even then, Mac always tried to avoid outright lies if he could. Now was not one of those times. "No, no I'm not sad, big guy," He forced a smile, dropping his free hand from Jack's head and letting it come to rest on his chest, protesting any movements even though he was pretty sure Jack wouldn't actually manage to get far enough to hurt himself. "Not sad. Just worried about you."

"Why?" All the work Mac had put into getting him to relax was undone, concerned lines marring his forehead once again, even more prominent than they had been to begin with. "Thought you said I was fine?" 

Mac couldn't help but laugh at that. He was starting to understand why Jack always acted as if being the one sitting in the chair awaiting his partner to wake up from an operation was worse than actually going under the knife himself. It was a lot of work, trying to keep up with drug-addled logic. "You are, you're fine. You just went to talking like it wouldn't be a big deal if you weren't. And you've got to know that that's not true, Jack. I need you. Always. You gotta remember that." 

"To watch your back," Jack nodded, determined, eyes scanning the small room, searching for threats but getting distracted by the IV hub in his arm and reaching for it, pulling Mac's hand along too. 

"No, we're not gonna touch that," He tugged their joined hands back down. "That needs to stay where it is. I know you're a little loopy at the moment, and probably not feeling the greatest, but I need you to listen to me, okay? You listening?" 

"Yup," Jack nodded, refocusing his attention on Mac. "Listening. You need me to watch your back." 

"No, not just that. I need you always. Job or not, you gotta take care of yourself so you can stick around for me." 

"But I'm the one who needs you," Jack argued. "You're what keeps me goin'. Saved my life when you came into it. Guys like me? We're not made to stick around this long. You gave me a reason to fight. That light you've got, it makes up for the darkness in me."

"Okay, I'm going to count on you not remembering any of this when you wake up," Mac sighed, leaning forward, needing Jack to pay attention. Needing him to understand. "Cause declarations like that aren't really something either of us are very good with. But it works both ways, Jack. Cause keeping me safe? It goes past the job. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Not just because I wouldn't have made it out of that sandbox without you watching my back, but because I wouldn't have made it out of my own head. When it's all too much? Too busy, too confusing, too loud? You’re what keeps me grounded." 

"That's important," Jack nodded solemnly, and Mac thought that he had finally broken through the haze and driven the point home. He was wrong. "You need to stay on the ground. You don't like heights."

"Yeah," Mace laughed, deciding that there was no point in trying to have a serious conversation until some of the drugs had worn off. "That's true. Hey, you're supposed to be sleeping, remember? Not talking about me?" 

"Right. Cause I don't feel good. So I'm in the hospital."

"Well, being in the hospital is kinda why you don't feel good," Mac pointed out with a shrug. "But sure, yeah, close enough. Either way, you're supposed to be sleeping." 

Jack let his eyes fall closed, following Mac's instructions automatically before they shot back open in concern, "You sure you're gonna be okay?" 

"I'm sure," Mac pulled the sheet back up over Jack's chest. "And I'll be right here when you wake up. You'll feel better then." 

"Kay," Jack's head rolled across the pillow again as he tried to get comfortable. "Miss my bed, dude. This one's all scratchy." 

"They aren't the most comfortable," Mac agreed, resuming letting his fingers card through Jack's hair, trying to lull him to sleep. "Sooner you fall asleep the sooner you can get out of here and into your own bed though." That wasn't exactly the case, but Jack was having a difficult time following a simple conversation, he certainly wasn't up to one about linear time. And of the two of them, Mac wasn't the one who had perfected a soothing ramble. His always turned out more annoying than helpful, even though he knew Jack absorbed more of what he was saying than he let anyone believe. 

" 'm glad you're here," Jack mumbled, long after Mac had thought he had finally drifted back off to sleep. "Don't like bein' here alone." 

"I know. But it's okay. I'm not going anywhere." Mac promised, even more determined than ever to make sure it was a promise he followed through with. 

"Still shouldn't have to. Take care of me, I mean." 

"I don't mind," Mac kept his voice low, not wanting to break the tranquil hush that had fallen over the room. "It's what partners do."


End file.
